Workers down tools in $1.2m pay row

Work at a private Fanling housing estate came to a halt yesterday morning as decorators staged a sit-in protest over $1.2 million in alleged unpaid wages.

About 50 workers downed tools at Henderson Land's Dawning Views construction site after what they claim has been a four-month dispute.

The workers said they had held talks with main contractor Yu Man Construction and the subcontractor demanding payment of their wages.

The companies could not be contacted yesterday.

Construction Site Workers' General Union secretary Vincent Sung Chee-tak said: 'The dispute was initially resolved in a conciliatory meeting. However, the [companies] later went back on their promises for some unknown reason which angered the workers and led to today's action.' Henderson Land said it had no knowledge of the dispute until yesterday's sit-in.

It said most of the work was completed and the contractors paid. The two sides were to hold a conciliation meeting at the Labour Department yesterday afternoon.